I think that one area of the wedding day that can cause the most stress is the family formals. I did a blog post last year geared towards photographers about how to do family formals quickly and efficiently. It’s such a great system I have in place! But over this past year, I’ve been noticing the same hiccup that can really throw things off and make stress levels rise.
It tends to occur when there is an extensive list of family formals (which, in itself, is totally fine with me!) but there isn’t a point person. The secret sauce to having family formals go super smoothly revolves around these two key points:
- There needs to a point person who is NOT in the family formals, but knows who everyone is.
- All of the individuals who are supposed to be in these photos pre- or post-ceremony need to know ahead of time that they’re supposed to be there.
If these two points haven’t been addressed, then that is where it starts to break down. I can zip through family formals so fast, while getting super meaningful photos, but I can’t do that if everyone isn’t there. It’s the waiting for people to show up because they didn’t know they were supposed to stick around, or it’s because someone who is in the family formals is running around trying to find these people.
When I have a list of specific names, I can call names out loud and clear, but I can’t pick any of these people out of the crowd. This is probably one of the most valuable tips I can ever give to a bride preparing for their wedding day in terms of getting all of the photos that matter to them! My goal is to always make this part of the day as positive and painless as possible for everyone involved!
Linda is a Maine-based photographer specializing in weddings and creating family legacies. You can see more of her work online at lindabarryphotography.com, on Instagram, or on Facebook. If you want to reach out directly: linda@lindabarryphotography.com. To sign up for the monthly newsletter full of encouragement and real life, click here!
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